Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State under George Washington, Vice President under John Adams, third president of the United States, upon designing the inscription for his tombstone, famously left off all of those titles. Instead he wished to be remembered for just three things: writing the Declaration of Independence, writing Virginia’s Statute for Religious Freedom, and founding the University of Virginia.

In that same spirit, as I reflect on the passing last week of Peter Biondi, I barely think about his ten years as a Hillsborough Township Committeeman, his term as a Somerset County Freeholder, or his dozen years representing the 16th district in the New Jersey Assembly.

More than anything else, Pete was Hillsborough’s best friend, plain and simple.

It hurts to lose your best friend. It hurts a lot.

Sometimes looking at pictures helps.

[1]

Black Horse Stable Family Day for special needs children, 2007. Pete was a tireless supporter and advocate for the special needs community. Over the years he made generous personal donations to Autism Speaks and the Organization for Autism Research, as well as fighting in Trenton for insurance reform and a common sense vaccination policy.

[2]

Rotary Club of Hillsborough annual Easter Egg Hunt, 2008. Pete was a proud member of the Rotary, and exemplified its motto, “service above self”. He was actively involved in all of their community activities, including the Easter Egg Hunt, and in later years, the annual Rotary Fair.

[3]

Portrait by Kevin Murphy, 2009. When Hillsborough artist Kevin Murphy came to the Cultural Arts Commission in 2008 with an idea to transform our annual art show to include a commissioned portrait of a notable Hillsborough person, he already knew who the first subject should be. We Agreed. Not only did Pete fit every imaginable criteria for inclusion in Hillsborough’s “hall of fame”, he was also a strong supporter of the arts, offering his personal financial assistance to the art show in subsequent years.

[4]

Memorial Day Parade, 2009. Pete was a fixture at Hillsborough’s annual Memorial Day Parade. His support for our veterans, as well as those currently serving was unquestionable.

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